Display rack



May`1, 1928. 1,667,513

' E. B. WESTON DISPLAY RACK Filed Nov. 4. 1924 lA gmnn'nnn 7 Wil 'Will lNvEN-roR i du/ard k/252km' permanent Wholly Patented May` 1, 1928. i

` UNITED STATES `j L 1,667,913 `PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. WESTON, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNR T0 lTI-JIIEI WESTON PAPER AND MFG.

CO., OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DISPLAY RACK.

Application led November 4, 1924. Serial No. 747,747.

This invention is an improvement in display racks, and more particularly in racks of the knock down type.

Display racks as usually constructed are structures, 'occupying space disproportionate to their Weight. For this reason transportation charges are heavy, and the room required for their storage might be better utilized for some other purpose. i

When constructed to be assembled on the spot Where they are to be retailedor used, the construction is such that a skilled Workman is required to assemble the parts, and When so assembled the rack is a permanent structure not capable of being again taken to pieces.

Furthermore the usual type of rack is not adapted for adjustment to suit the demands of the matter to be di layed as regards quantity, and dimensions. That is the supporting shelves or trays bear a fixed relation, so that the aggregate capacity of the rackcannot be varied, nor can the spacing of the shelves be changed to conform with the height of the articles to be displayed.

An object of the present invention is the4 revision of a rack of the character speciged, composed of aminimum of parts easily assembled and disassembled.

Another object is the provision of a rack wherein after assembling, the parts may be connected into a rigid self-supporting rack structure, by certain easy and minor adjustments. j

Another object is to providel a structure wherein the relative arrangement of the supporting trays or shelves may be varied, thus to vary the aggregate capacity of the rack.

Another object is to provide a construction ofl rack wherein a set of standards may be assembled with any selected one of a plurality of sets of trays thus to provide for the quick assemblage from stock parts of racks of any desired dimensions.

Another object is to provide a -newand improved construction of tray or flanged shelf, formed from a single blank.

W ith these and-other objects in View, the invention consists in. the construction and novel combination of parts :fully described hereinafter, illustrated in .the accompanying drawings, and pointed lout in the claimA appended hereto, it'being understood that various changes in the form, `"proportion,

size and minor details of construction, Within the scope of the claim,n1ay be resorted to Without departing from. the spirit'dfthe invention.

In-the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View ot' the improved rack.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2 2 and 3-3 of Figure l.

Fig. A4is a plan View of a corner of a blank from which a tray or shelf is formed. Fig. 5 is a perspective vie-W of the stop for the nut of the corner connecting screwbolts.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the improved rack is composed of a set of similar standards, usually four in number, and a set of trays, depending in number upon the capacity desired for the rack, and upon the dimensions of the articles to be displayed. a i

The standards. 1 are of angle material, eachr comprising wings extending at a right angle, and each standard is provided yat the junction o"- the wings, that is that the angle ot the standard,xwith a plurality of keyhole slots 2. rlhese slots are similarly arranged, each with its large end upward, and the arrangement and the size of the slots is the same for the standards of a set.

Each of the trays is composed of a base or bottom 3, and pairs of opposite side Walls corner thereof a headed member for engagi ing 4the keyhole slots of a standard. In the present instance the headed members'are screw-bolts` 6. The bolts are passed inwardly through openings in the corners of the tray, Withthe kerfed heads 7 of the bolts outward and in position to be passed through the large ends of the keyhole slots.

Each bolt is engaged by a nut 8 inside the tray, and a stop plate or Washer 9 is a1'- ranged on the bolt between the nut and the tray. Opposite side edges 10 of each Washer are bent at such an angle to the body that when the body lies obliquely across the corner of the tray the bent side edges 1() will lie smoothly against the inner faces of adjacent tray side walls.

In assembling the tray, the nuts 8 are loosened far enough so that the heads of the bolts 6 may be passed through the keyhole slots of the set of standards at the height desired. \Vhen the heads of the bolts pass through the large portions of the slots, a slight downward movement of the tray with respect to the `standards will cause the shanks of the bolts to pass into the narrow portions of the slots, thus locking the standards and the trays together. The spacing of the keyhole slots in the standards corresponds to the minimum spacing desired for the trays, and if a maximum capacity rack is desired, a tray is arranged at each set of keyhole slots. If a less capacity is desired or merely a greater spacing of the trays, the trays may be omitted at the alternate sets of keyhole slots.

After the. trays are assembled, by means of a screw-driver or the like, the bolts may be turned to tighten the nuts 8. This procedure draws the standards tightly against the tray corners, and makes the rack a rigid structure, with however some elasticity and resiliency, because. of the washers 9. These washers because of their arrangement, permit a certain degree of movement with respect to the tray, to prevent injury to the boltI or to other parts. A rack is easily knocked down t'or storage or transportation, and when knocked down the standards nest one into the other. A number of completed racks might be connected in one package, by superposing the trays and arranging the nested standards at the corners of the superposed trays.

Preferably the. trays are. constructed in the. manner shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each tray is formed from a rectangular blank of suitable ,sheet material notched at its corners to provide. the bottom or base 3 of suitable dimensions. and pairs of opposite tiaps, which when bent to shape form the side walls 4 and The flaps have extensions 11 at their ends, which are designed to be bent inwardly at right angles to the flaps, to abut the inner faces of the adjacent fiaps 4 Whew the tiaps are folded at right angles to the bottom. Referring to Figure 4 it will be noticed that the extensions 11 are notched at 12 between the flaps 4 and adjacent ends of the extensions.

The notches at the corners of the blank are cut to a greater depth than that actually required for the Wall, and the outer corners of the flaps are beveled as shown at 13, over a. depth corresponding to that of the mat/erial in the flap in excess of that required tor the wall. This excess material indicated at 14 is bent over upon the inner face of the adjacent side wall, to provide a finish for the free edge of the wall and a reinforce. In forming the blank into the tray, the portions 14 are bent over upon the flaps 4 and 5, the extensions 11 are bent at right angles to the iiaps 5, and the flaps 5 are bent at right angles to the bottom 3. Afterwards the flaps 4 vare bent to shape. rIlle blanks may be cut and shaped in any suitable manner. i

In practice the top tray may he flush with the standard tops as shown, or the standards may extend above the top tray, in which case they might be provided with ornamental tops. They may also he mounted on casters, and the bottoms thereof may have suitable feet. or bases.

I claim:

A lniock-down display rack including a set of standards and al plurality of removable trays, the standards angular in cross section and adapted to tit about the. corners of the trays, each standard having verti 'ally alined longitudinally extending slots in its angular portion, and each tray having at each corner a removable'headed member for engaging the slots of the standards, the slots restricted at their lower ends to prevent disengagement of the headed members, each of said members threaded at its inner end, a yieldable washerplate in the corners of each tray through which its companion headed member eX- tends, each washer-plate having bent ends lying against the inner faces of adjacent tray side walls, and a nut engaging each member and bearing against. its associated washer plate to yieldably clamp the standards to the trays. g

Signed at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Chio this 31st day of October A. D. 1924.

EDW'ARD B. WESTON. 

